Safely Removing Graffiti from Historic Buildings
July 1, 2015
Building owners, professionals and concerned community members joined us at Lyon Associates on 45 N. King Street yesterday for the first of 3 presentations in our Sustaining Chinatown: Historic Preservation Summer Series 2015. The series is co-sponsored by Historic Hawaii Foundation, Chinatown Improvement District and Lyon Associates.
A tip for removing graffiti from historic buildings from yesterday’s presentation: always use the gentlest means possible to avoid harming the underlying material. Chinatown brick is soft and will powder if the hard exterior layer is removed.
Make sure the mortar is well-pointed before using pressure washing to avoid water damage. Chemical cleaning tests found that “Dumond Smart Strip Pro” was most effective for spray paint and silver coating on brick (but not for use on softer materials, like limestone or marble substrates). For more information and availability go to www.dumondchemicals.com
A report on the results of a study on Graffiti Cleaning and Prevention on Historic Chinatown Buildings with useful information on graffiti prevention and treatment approaches will be available soon. Email outreach@historichawaii.org to request a PDF copy when it’s published.
Though the study’s focus is buildings in Honolulu’s Chinatown, the information is applicable to buildings made of similar construction materials located throughout Hawaii.
Upcoming sessions will cover water damage & repair and tax credits & permitting in a historic district. Click here for more information and to register.